Japanese government spokesman and Chief Cabinet Secretary Yoshihide Suga yesterday said Taiwan is an important Japanese partner and that relations between Taiwan and Japan remain unchanged after Saturday’s meeting between President Ma Ying-jeou (馬英九) and Chinese President Xi Jinping (習近平).
Suga made the remarks at a regular press briefing when asked to comment on the Ma-Xi meeting.
Suga said that the Japanese government has long hoped that the two sides of the Taiwan Strait can peacefully resolve any problems through a direct dialogue.
Japan also hopes that future interactions between the two sides can be conducive to regional peace and stability and that it would be on the lookout for any changes following the meeting, Suga added.
Suga said that Taiwan and Japan share common values and have a close economic partnership and given their mutual trust, Taiwan-Japan relations remain unchanged.
The Japanese government is also to continue to monitor the issue of the disputed Diaoyutai Islands (釣魚台) in the East China Sea, Suga said.
The US Department of State welcomed the Ma-Xi meeting, while Japan said that cross-strait relations should be handled peacefully by both sides of the Strait.
TRAFFIC SAFETY RULES: A positive result in a drug test would result in a two-year license suspension for the driver and vehicle, and a fine of up to NT$180,000 The Ministry of Transportation and Communications is to authorize police to conduct roadside saliva tests by the end of the year to deter people from driving while under the influence of narcotics, it said yesterday. The ministry last month unveiled a draft of amended regulations governing traffic safety rules and penalties, which included provisions empowering police to conduct mandatory saliva tests on drivers. While currently rules authorize police to use oral fluid testing kits for signs of drug use, they do not establish penalties for noncompliance or operating procedures for officers to follow, the ministry said. The proposed changes to the regulations require
The Executive Yuan yesterday announced that registration for a one-time universal NT$10,000 cash handout to help people in Taiwan survive US tariffs and inflation would start on Nov. 5, with payouts available as early as Nov. 12. Who is eligible for the handout? Registered Taiwanese nationals are eligible, including those born in Taiwan before April 30 next year with a birth certificate. Non-registered nationals with residence permits, foreign permanent residents and foreign spouses of Taiwanese citizens with residence permits also qualify for the handouts. For people who meet the eligibility requirements, but passed away between yesterday and April 30 next year, surviving family members
Taiwanese officials are courting podcasters and influencers aligned with US President Donald Trump as they grow more worried the US leader could undermine Taiwanese interests in talks with China, people familiar with the matter said. Trump has said Taiwan would likely be on the agenda when he is expected to meet Chinese President Xi Jinping (習近平) next week in a bid to resolve persistent trade tensions. China has asked the White House to officially declare it “opposes” Taiwanese independence, Bloomberg reported last month, a concession that would mark a major diplomatic win for Beijing. President William Lai (賴清德) and his top officials
The German city of Hamburg on Oct. 14 named a bridge “Kaohsiung-Brucke” after the Taiwanese city of Kaohsiung. The footbridge, formerly known as F566, is to the east of the Speicherstadt, the world’s largest warehouse district, and connects the Dar-es-Salaam-Platz to the Brooktorpromenade near the Port of Hamburg on the Elbe River. Timo Fischer, a Free Democratic Party member of the Hamburg-Mitte District Assembly, in May last year proposed the name change with support from members of the Social Democratic Party and the Christian Democratic Union. Kaohsiung and Hamburg in 1999 inked a sister city agreement, but despite more than a quarter-century of
RSS